Logophiles, help!

lsavage at westmont.edu lsavage at westmont.edu
Mon Jan 9 15:29:39 CST 2006


A friend of mine found "suttle" in an unabridged 1960's dictionary: "Suttled" is 
derived from "sutler" which it defined as a person who derives a living in an 
underhanded manner. 

Certainly a jewel of a word...

Quoting Joe Allonby <joeallonby at gmail.com>:

> Looks like a typo for "settled". Simplest, obvious answer.
> 
> On 1/2/06, David Casseres <david.casseres at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Perusing my OED, I found that suttle is indeed an old spelling for
> > subtle.  But the verb to suttle means to carry out the trade of a
> > sutler.  A sutler is a small vendor, such as someone who sells from a
> > stall or cart in the street.
> >
> > So the "suttled night-time of the town" would seem to have many, many
> > possible layered connotations, as the very night-time is being
> > retailed piecemeal.  A striking sentence!
> >
> > I had less luck with ceporous.  The closest word I found was cepous,
> > meaning onion-like or bulbous.
> >
> > On 1/2/06, Paul Mackin <paul.mackin at verizon.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > On Jan 2, 2006, at 2:31 AM, Ya Sam wrote:
> > >
> > > > While reading Andrew Miller's historical novel 'Casanova' I
> > > > stumbled upon two words whose meaning I could not find in any
> > > > dictionary available to me. Googling proved to be useless too. I am
> > > > sure they are not typos, although it's quite possible Andrew Miller
> > > > simply made them up. If anyone on the list has any clues, please
> > > > help to decipher the following words:
> > > >
> > > > 1. to suttle
> > > >
> > > > From the other side of the street he heard the sound of a window
> > > > being slid open on its sashes and then a man's voice calling
> > > > clearly - though for Casanova, incomprehensibly - a single short
> > > > refrain that rang out in the SUTTLED night-time of the town like
> > > > coins falling on to paving stones (42).
> > >
> > >
> > >  From context it sounds like the town is very subtly lighted, quiet,
> > > shutdown for the night. Sidewalks taken in as it were.
> > >
> > > I think (pretty sure) I've  seen suttle used in place of subtle.
> > > Can't  find  it in  the  dictionary however..
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > 2. ceporous
> > > >
> > > > The sheets had not been aired. They were somewhat damp and CEPOROUS
> > > > (102).
> > > >
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> > >
> >
> >
> 






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